Best Eastern USA

The Gray Petaltail, *Tachopteryx thoreyi*, is a rare dragonfly found in southeastern U.S. bogs and wetlands. It’s notable as one of the oldest dragonfly lineages still existing in North America. This species exhibits distinctive gray coloration on its thorax and abdomen. Primarily a focus for entomo...

Somatochlora hineana, commonly known as Hine’s Emerald, is a distinctive green dragonfly species found exclusively within eastern United States. Notably, it relies critically on specific, rare limestone groundwater habitats, making it exceptionally vulnerable to environmental changes. This dragonfly...

The Carolina Saddlebag ( *Tramea carolina* ) is a large dragonfly belonging to the Libellulidae family. Native to eastern United States, it’s recognized by its distinctive red and black abdomen markings. This migratory species is commonly observed by insect enthusiasts, researchers studying dragonfl...

The Royal River Cruiser (Macromia taeniolata) is a large dragonfly of the family Macromiidae native to the eastern United States, where it patrols rivers, large streams, and lake margins. Adults are recognized by a metallic dark thorax, a brownish-black abdomen marked with yellow, and continuous swi...

The Arrowhead Spiketail (Cordulegaster obliqua) is a large dragonfly in the family Cordulegastridae, native to the eastern United States. It is recognized by its dark body marked with yellow, arrow-shaped patterns along the abdomen and thorax. The species breeds in small forested streams and seeps,...

The Painted Skimmer (Libellula semifasciata) is a dragonfly in the family Libellulidae found in eastern North America. It is recognized by its ornate wing pattern, which includes amber or orange patches near the base and dark bands crossing the wings. Adults are associated with wooded wetlands, bogs...

The Canopy Jumping Spider, first described by Nicholas Marcellus Hentz in 1846, is a large North American species notable for inhabiting the upper canopies of oak and pine tree forests.

The Zebra Clubtail, Stylurus scudderi, is a North American dragonfly in the clubtail family Gomphidae. Its dark abdomen is crossed by conspicuous pale yellow markings, producing the striped appearance reflected in its common name, and the terminal abdominal segments are expanded into the club charac...

The Great Blue Skimmer (Libellula vibrans) is a large dragonfly species of the skimmer family Libellulidae. It is native to the eastern United States and holds the distinction of being the largest skimmer species within its range by overall body length. This dragonfly prefers wooded habitats, freque...

The Golden-winged Skimmer (Libellula auripennis) is a dragonfly species belonging to the family Libellulidae, prevalent in the eastern and southeastern United States. It is distinguished by the characteristic golden-yellow tint present along the leading edge and veins of its wings. This vibrant colo...

The Blue Percher (Diplacodes trivialis) is a widespread dragonfly species in the Libellulidae family, distributed extensively throughout Asia and parts of Oceania. First described by the French entomologist Jules Pierre Rambur in 1842, the species exhibits distinct sexual dimorphism. Adult males dev...

The Elfin Skimmer (Nannothemis bella) is a small dragonfly in the skimmer family, Libellulidae, and is recognized as the smallest dragonfly species native to North America. Described by Hermann August Hagen in 1861, it is the sole member of its genus. This species relies on specialized habitats and...

The Red-veined Darter (Sympetrum fonscolombii) is a migratory dragonfly belonging to the Libellulidae family, common across southern Europe, Africa, and western Asia. First described by Belgian entomologist Edmond de Selys Longchamps in 1840, the species is characterized by prominent red veins runni...

The California Darner (Rhionaeschna californica) is a species of darner dragonfly in the Aeshnidae family, native to western North America. It is particularly notable for its early spring emergence, frequently making it one of the first darner species to be observed on the wing each year. Males disp...

The Twin-spotted Spiketail (Cordulegaster maculata) is a large dragonfly species prevalent across eastern North America, typically found near small, clear forest streams. It belongs to the Cordulegastridae family and is easily identified by its black body marked with striking yellow coloration. As i...

The Smoky Shadowdragon (Neurocordulia molesta) is a dragonfly species native to eastern North America, primarily associated with large river systems. As its common name suggests, it exhibits crepuscular behavior, roosting high in trees during the daytime and becoming active only at dusk to hunt for...

Described by Selys in 1854, the Unicorn Clubtail (Arigomphus villosipes) is a North American dragonfly known for the distinctive dorsal bump on the male's tenth abdominal segment.

The Black-shouldered Spinyleg (Dromogomphus spinosus) is a dragonfly species belonging to the clubtail family (Gomphidae), commonly found across eastern North America. The species is characterized by prominent dark stripes on its thorax, which give it its "black-shouldered" designation, along with d...

The Brown Spiketail (Cordulegaster bilineata) is a large dragonfly belonging to the spiketail family (Cordulegastridae), native to the eastern and central United States. The insect features a dark brown to black body marked with distinct yellow stripes on its thorax and abdomen. Females possess a pr...

The Spangled Skimmer (Libellula cyanea) is a dragonfly species belonging to the family Libellulidae, predominantly found across eastern North America. This insect is uniquely identified by the presence of both black and white stigmas on the leading edge of its wings, a feature visible in both males...

The Delaware Coastal Plain encompasses the eastern and southern portions of the state of Delaware, extending to the Atlantic coast. Characterized by flat, sandy terrain, this region features extensive wetlands, estuaries, and barrier islands. It is a geologically significant area where the sea level...

The Eastern Ringtail, Erpetogomphus designatus, is a clubtail dragonfly in the family Gomphidae native to eastern and central portions of North America. Its abdomen carries contrasting dark and yellowish rings, while the expanded terminal segments create the clubbed profile characteristic of many go...

The Delta-spotted Spiketail, Cordulegaster diastatops, is a dragonfly in the spiketail family Cordulegastridae found in eastern North America. It has a long, dark abdomen marked with small yellow triangular spots, a pattern reflected in its common name. The species is associated with clean, shaded s...

The Green-striped Darner (*Aeshna verticalis*) is a large dragonfly of the family Aeshnidae found in parts of eastern North America. Adults have a dark thorax marked with green lateral stripes, while the abdomen bears paired pale markings that help distinguish the species from similar darners. It is...

The Cinnamon Shadowdragon (*Neurocordulia virginiensis*) is a dragonfly in the family Corduliidae native to eastern North America. Like other shadowdragons, it is most active during the low light around dusk, when adults fly over rivers and capture other insects in flight. Its subdued brown colorati...

The Slaty Skimmer (*Libellula incesta*) is a large dragonfly in the family Libellulidae found in eastern North America. Mature males develop a dark slate-blue to nearly black pruinose coating, whereas females and immature males are more brownish and show a patterned abdomen. The species frequents po...

The Mottled Darner (Aeshna clepsydra) is a large dragonfly species belonging to the family Aeshnidae, found across eastern North America. It is distinguished by its mottled brown and gray coloration on the thorax, which provides effective camouflage against tree bark when the insect rests vertically...

Say's Spiketail is a rare dragonfly species endemic to the eastern United States, noted for its specialized habitat in sandy forested streams.

Described by Thomas Say in 1839, the Clamp-tipped Emerald is an eastern North American dragonfly famously named for the male's uniquely shaped, forceps-like abdominal claspers.